Murillo’s Brace Highlights Decisive Second Half For State

Thursday, September 18

Austin, Texas

7 p.m.

Mississippi State

7-1-0, 2-0-0

Texas

2-6-1, 0-2-0

Mississippi St.

Texas

Photo by: Abby Forster / Texas Athletics

Murillo’s Brace Highlights Decisive Second Half For State

September 18, 2025 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Brian Ogden, Director/Communications

AUSTIN, Texas – Freshman Laila Murillo, returning to her home state, scored twice to lift No. 12 Mississippi State past Texas, 3-0, on Thursday night in Austin. Along the way, Ally Perry picked up her ninth career game-winning goal, moving into a tie for second in school history.

The Bulldogs (7-1-1, 2-0-0 SEC) scored all of their goals in the second half and now have scored 15 of 20 goals this season in the final 45 minutes. Perry opened the scoring in the 58th minute, and Murillo's strikes came in the 64th and 77th.

"I'm so proud of the performance tonight from the group," head coach Nick Zimmerman said. "The mentality all week was, 'How were we going to respond?'. It was something we were very intentional about, and tonight it was shown on the field."

Perry's strike was one that has become a vintage image of the midfielder. Kennedy Husbands penetrated with the dribble and passed to Perry who shook a defender at the top of the box. Once again from roughly 20 yards out, Perry tucked a shot from distance under the crossbar.

Murillo's first strike was created off a rebound from the block of Alivia Buxton's shot. The ball settled on Kara Harris' foot on the right side of the box. Harris played a low ball back to the center of the box for Murillo. Her second goal was from nearly the same spot, but the service came from the opposite side.

Zoe Main dribbled down the left sideline and passed to Tatum Borman. Borman's cross was deflected by Kyra Taylor and fell directly to Murillo's foot.

It was an offensive outburst from State after a scoreless first half that saw just three combined shots between the teams. Perry had the best look of the first 45 minutes, firing a ball just over the crossbar from nearly the same spot she would later score from. State dominated possession in the first half, holding the ball for 62 percent of the frame.

Goalkeeper Sarah Wommack turned in her third clean sheet of the year, making three saves, including two in the final three minutes.

The Bulldogs improved to 7-1-0 for the second year in a row. MSU extended its SEC winning streak to 12 matches with the win, and Zimmerman is now just two wins shy of the program record for wins by a first-year head coach.

State returns to Starkville on Sunday night to host Auburn at 6 p.m. CT. It will be International Night at the MSU Soccer Field, which is significant for a club with three international players and another four that either have FIFA eligibility for multiple nations or have already represented a national team outside the United States. The first 500 fans in attendance that night will receive this year's MSU soccer scarf.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."